Basketball Intelligence For 12/19/24
Shai'll be okay, a Hawks forward soaring, KAT heads back to Minnie, and more...
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*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
POR: My Favorite Blazers: Larry Steele
Kerry Eggers, KerryEggers.com
LEAGUE NEWS
NBA Cup Review, Plus Overall Season Check In with Chris Lindsey & Aaron Bollwinkel
Griffin Prock, Show About Sports
NBA Rookie of the Year Rankings: Jared McCain's injury opens door for Stephon
Castle, Jaylen Wells, more
Jasmyn Wimbish, CBS Sports
The Whiteboard: What comes next for the Bucks and Thunder after NBA Cup run
Wes Goldberg, Fansided
After starting the season by losing eight of their first 10 games, the Bucks are 12-3 since and have posted the league’s eighth-best net rating in that stretch. They are balanced, with Giannis and Lillard fueling their offense and coach Doc Rivers’ revamped lineup with Andre Jackson Jr. and A.J. Green adding length and athleticism on defense. Both their offense and defense rank in the top 10 in efficiency.
Teams With Roster Turnover Are Struggling In 2024-25
Evan Miyakawa, EvanMiya
Let's talk about billionaires selling hot dogs for $9
Tom Ziller, Good Morning It’s Basketball
From Knicks to Sixers, how does your favorite NBA team’s shooting stack up?
Law Murray, The Athletic
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Stephon Castle new favorite after Jared McCain injury
Scott Philips, The Ahtletic
Who’s on the TrueHoop Championship Bus?
Coach Thorpe, TrueHoop
NBA Rewind: Surging Bucks win NBA Cup and look like legitimate Finals contender
Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today
The 2024 NBA Cup Exit Survey
The Ringer Staff, The Ringer
NBA Power Rankings: Bucks in top 10 after Cup title, OKC hangs onto No. 1 spot, Mavs on the rise
Collin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports
Reasons to Love and Hate Every NBA Team's 2024-25 Season So Far
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report
TEAM NEWS
ATL: Jalen Johnson Is Having the NBA’s Most Meaningful Glow-Up
Michael Pina, The Ringer
The question gets to the heart of what makes Johnson as singular as he is impressive, a rising star whose game contains no caveats. He can do pretty much everything that matters on a basketball court. There’s no concerning “yeah, but” to his skill set, he unleashes his talent using a powerful, effervescent 6-foot-9 body, and he’s comfortable and confident in just about any scenario.
CLE: Cavaliers are big winners from the NBA Cup even though they didn't win
Josh Cornelissen, King James Gospel
DAL: Are the Mavs on Track for Their Best Season Since the Title Year?
Iztok Franko, Diggin Basketball
DET: Tracking Pistons’ Ausar Thompson’s day on his best game of the season
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
DET: John Niyo: Pistons’ Cade Cunningham makes his All-Star case - with an assist
John Niyo, The Kansas City Star
GSW: Gary Payton II Is Making a Name for Himself in the Bay
Alan Chazaro, GQ Sports
GSW: Warriors recalibrate expectations for struggling Podziemski with Schroder trade
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News
Remaining League and WNBA News, as well as NBA Draft, continued for paid subscribers. Remember: With a paid subscription you get full access to all the best news and reporting that we hand-curate daily for your enjoyment. Already have a subscription? Now is the perfect time to gift one to someone you know!